Kym Johnson’s Take on DWTS Season 14 (and The Urkel)

It’s “Dancing with the Stars” day! Season 14 premieres tonight, and—with some studly stars and our favorite ballroom ladies and gents fighting for that Mirror Ball Trophy—it’s definitely going to be a good one. To start off the season right, DS got the inside scoop from “DWTS” pro Kym Johnson about her expectations for partner Jaleel White and who she thinks is her biggest competition:

Dance Spirit: How has Jaleel’s dancing been in rehearsals? Is it different than you expected?

Kym Johnson: I really didn’t know what to expect from him, but it’s going really well. There are things that we still have to work on, like his frame, but he’s definitely got rhythm. Now we’re at the point where we’re just ready to dance for an audience.

DS: Were you a fan of Jaleel’s character, Steve Urkel, on “Family Matters”?

KJ: “Family Matters” was very popular in Australia, but I actually didn’t watch it. I felt a bit bad about that when I met him. Obviously, I knew the character of Steve Urkel, since he made that very famous. But he’ll play more of a smooth character when he’s on the dance floor.

DS: We won’t see any of Urkel’s signature moves?

KJ: I don’t think so. Jaleel says he doesn’t think the judges are ready for The Urkel.

DS: So what’s your strategy for this season?

KJ: I think the best way to approach this competition is to enjoy it as much as possible, and just take it week by week. The first show is always really fun. That’s when we’ll see what the other couples are bringing to the dance floor, and we’ll figure out where we stand in the competition and what we can work on. Hopefully we’ll connect with people.

DS: Who do you think will be your biggest competition?

KJ: I have to say it’s going to be a really strong dance season. I think William [Levy] and Cheryl [Burke], plus Donald Driver and Peta [Murgatroyd], are really good. Plus, I saw Katherine Jenkins rehearse the other day, and she’s beautiful, so she’s going to be a tough one. It seems like everyone is big competition right now. There are going to be some amazing performances.

We can’t wait! And if you’re like Kym, and “Family Matters” wasn’t a part of your regular TGIF lineup, here’s a little insight to why this team will most likely kill it on the dance floor. I give you The Urkel: